Pipe bending tool

ABSTRACT

A pipe bending tool intended for foot pressure or arm leverage for actuation which incorporates visual planes in the body of the device together with indicia on both faces thereof to indicate to an operator when a certain angle of bend has been reached. The multiple planes, each for a particular angle, form a stepped zigzag side flange along one or both sides of the bending tool which not only reinforces but also protects the bend groove.

United States Patent 1 1 Benfield [4 1 Feb. 27, 1973 s41 PIPE BENDINGTOOL 2,584,537 2/1952 Benfield ..72/458 Inventor: J D- Benfield 2920East Jeffer 1,240,605 9/1917 Ryerson ..72/458 Detrolt Mlch' 48207Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham [22] Filed: April 14, 1971 AssistantExaminerMichael J. Keenan PP NOI: 133,942 Attorney-Barnes, Kisselle,Raisch & Choate [57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl ..72/31, 72/458 A pipe bendingtool intended for foot pressure or arm 11"". CI. leverage for actuationwhich incorporates visual [581 217 planes in the body of the devicetogether with indicia on both faces thereof to indicate to an operatorwhen [56] References C'ted a certain angle of bend has been reached. Themulti- UNITED STATES PATENTS ple planes, each for a particular angle,form a stepped zigzag side flange along one or both sides of the bend-3,063,314 11/1962 Benfield ..72/458 ing tool which not only reinforcesbut also protects the 1,393,830 10/1921 Rosenfeld bend groove. 2,780,1212/1957 White 2,817,986 12/1957 Benfield ..72/459 5 Claims, 7 DrawingFigures PIPE BENDING TOOL This invention relates to a Pipe Bending Tooland more particularly to an improved type of pipe bender which has avisual indication for angles which is more readily followed by anoperator who is standing above the tool and manipulating the handle froma more or less standing position, either with the body of the bender onthe floor or with the bender upright in midair with the handle endresting on the floor.

In my U.S. Pat. No. 3,253,441, dated May 31, 1966, there is shown a pipebender having a plumb-bob type of indicator for the angles. Also US.Pat. No. 3,063,314, dated Nov. l3, 1962, of which I am co-inventor,shows a pipe bender with tangential parallel slash marks visible fromthe side only which serve as a degree of angle indicator. These indiciaare not clearly visible except under close scrutiny.

It will be appreciated that a man who is installing pipe or electricalconduit on many occasions has to bend the pipes at different angles tomake it adaptable to the particular installations. These angles varyconsiderably and the skilled operator employs triangulation formulaswhich require exact degree of bend for precision pipe off-sets andsaddle type bends. Bending force is applied either by a combination offoot pressure and arm leverage through a handle of appropriate length orby bending entirely with arm pressure if the tool is in mid-air. In thiscase, he bends the pipe over the arcuate form of the tool. In eithercase, the operator must be standing more or less upright while theleverage is being applied. It is important that the degree of angleindicia be read from either position without stooping or squatting. I

Thepresent invention is directed to a construction of a pipe benderwhich not only carries the indiciafor the various angles on both facesof the visi-planes but has a unique side formation which enables theoperator to observe, from any point in the 360 range the angle which hehas reached in the bending operation. Thus, the object of the inventionis an improved construction which is relatively inexpensive and yetwhich encourages precision bending by the operator and improves histechnique in the fabrication operation. Obviously, the degree of anglemay be observed from top, bottom, or from either side of the tool.

Other objects and features of the invention relating to the details ofconstruction and operation will be apparent in the following descriptionand claims wherein the principle of operation and the utility of thedevice is set forth together with the best mode presently contemplatedfor practice of the invention.

Drawings accompany the disclosure and the various views thereof may bebriefly described as:

FIG. 1, a side view of a bender shown in position ready to be movedthrough a bending cycle.

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, sectional views on lines 2--2, 3-3, and 4-4,respectively, of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5, a top view of the bender taken in the direction of arrow 5indicated on FIG. 1.

FIG. 6, a second side and top elevation view taken in the direction ofarrow 6 indicated on FIG. 1.

FIG. 7, a partial bottom view in the direction of arrow 7 on FIG. 1.

REFERRING TO THE DRAWINGS In FIG. 1, the arcuate pipe bending tool isshown having a main body portion 20 terminating upwardly in a socketmember 22 provided with a hole 24 to receive a lever pipe 25 which canbe threaded into the socket at 26. The body has arcuate rocker portions28 and 30 which are spaced to provide an arcuate annular opening 32which receives the pipe P to be bent. At one end of the rocker portionis a hook portion 34 shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6 having the usual sideopening 36 which permits the insertion of the pipe prior to bending.This hook 34 is a highly reinforced member with walls designed as heavyas can be to absorb the high forces that are exerted on it during thebending operation. Thus, the arcuate groove and the handle lie in aplane which might be referred to as the bending plane and under normalcircumstances it would be perpendicular to the floor or supportingsurface.

At the other end of the double rocker portion is a serrated areasometimes referred to as a step or treadle portion 40. In the embodimentshown in FIG. 1, it will be seen that the treadle portion extendsdownwardly along the top of the rocker portion to a secondary area 42which extends rather deeply into the top or the rocker portion where itmeets with a reinforcing gussetshaped web 44 which is blended into oneside of the socket member 22. On the other side of the socket member isanother gusset-shaped web portion 46 reinforcing the hook end of thedevice.

Extending outwardly from the two opposed rocker portions 28 and 30spaced upwardly for the most part from the bottom contact edges of therockers is a side flange indicated generally in FIG. 2 as flanges 50 and52. This side flange has, in top profile, as shown in FIG. 5, anoriginating point 54 near the hook opening, the line tapering outward toa point 56 from which point is moves rearwardly parallel to the generalaxis toward the treadle portion to a point 58 and then tapers back tothe treadle portion to a point 60. While the side flange would operateon one side only, it is conveniently placed on both sides and serves toreinforce the entire structure. This flange has an unusual configurationin that it is formed of five side extending planes in the form ofstepped portions which are disposed seriatim in zig-zag fashion alongthe curve of the rockers on each side and designated as 62, 64, 66, 68,and 70.

Each of these planes, starting with 62, carries respectively the angleddesignations 10, 22 1, 30, 45 and 60 on the upper and lower faces of:same. These angled dimensions can be embossed into or raised from thestepped portions or plates or imprinted thereon in any suitable mannerwhich makes them readily visible from above, below, or from any angle inthe 360 range.

With the construction shown, the visible planes can be relatively largeflat surfaces to accommodate large, bold, legible characters of suchsize that even operators with average or poor vision can read theindicia. The extended planes also form protective wings for the rockerportions 28 and 30 to protect against damage as the tool is thrown downin the course of its use.

It will be seen that each step portion is disposed at a different anglerelative to the axis of the opening 24 which would carry the operatinglever, and these stepped portions are so designed and so angled thatwhen the angle which carries the step portion has been reached in thebending operation, that particular step portion will lie horizontal tothe pipe or conduit which is being fabricated. This condition is visiblydiscernible from above, below, or from either sideby the operator. Thus,as each particular angle is reached, he will be able to detect thisvisually from any position and he will know exactly when to stop thebending depending on the degree of angle which he is seeking. Thismeans, of course, that each stepped portion is connected by a riserportion which leads to the new angle and level on the general sideflanges 50 and 52. As above mentioned, these side flanges or visi-planesalso serve as a protective guard rail or bumper against mechanicaldamage to the bending groove. This is an important feature for portabletools on heavy construction projects because a distorted groove rendersthe tool useless.

Thus, there is provided an improved pipe bender which has no movingparts which can become lost or inoperative by reason of rusting or dirtand the pipe bender has a highly acceptable and visual indication forthe bending angle which not only is of great assistance to theexperienced operator but which makes it possible to teach a novice howto use the device with much more facility.

and disposed at progressively differing angles to the axis of the leverhandle.

2. A pipe bending tool as defined in claim 1 in which I each surfacecarries a legible indicia corresponding to a degree of bend as thedevice is used.

3. A pipe bending tool as defined in claim 1 in which each of saidsurfaces has an obverse, parallel flat surface, each surface carrying anindicia corresponding to a degree of bend as the device is used.

4. A pipe bending tool as defined in claim 1 in which said series ofsurfaces are connected in a continuing zig-zag configuration along theside of the tool.

5. A pipe bending tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said means formingsaid surfaces serve as a reinforcing guard rail to protect the pipereceiving groove against damage.

1. In a pipe bending tool having a body with an arcuate pipe receivinggroove and integral end hook and a rigid handle extending radially fromthe body to serve as a lever, that improvement which comprises meansforming a series of discrete surfaces extending from the side of thebody, each surface disposed seriatim along the body in planesperpendicular to the bending plane and disposed at progressivelydiffering angles to the axis of the lever handle.
 2. A pipe bending toolas defined in claim 1 in which each surface carries a legible indiciacorresponding to a degree of bend as the device is used.
 3. A pipebending tool as defined in claim 1 in which each of said surfaces has anobverse, parallel flat surface, each surface carrying an indiciacorresponding to a degree of bend as the device is used.
 4. A pipebending tool as defined in claim 1 in which said series of surfaces areconnected in a continuing zig-zag configuration along the side of thetool.
 5. A pipe bending tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said meansforming said surfaces serve as a reinforcing guard rail to protect thepipe receiving groove against damage.